


Chance Encounter

by Mina Lightstar (ukefied)



Series: Breaking the Ice [1]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: M/M, original anime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:32:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukefied/pseuds/Mina%20Lightstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leorio plays the knight in shining armor, and receives Kurapika as his "reward."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chance Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written/posted 2004.

 

Like most major cities, York was lively well into the evening. It was even active far into the night. Leorio knew this because he was often a part of those nightly festivities, staying out under the moon for hours. He was a strong student; his studies never suffered from his frequent forays into York's nightlife, and he took advantage of that fact. Those ventures were beneficial for him... when Loneliness came nipping at his heels.

Tonight was one of those nights. Leorio had been settled in his study for an evening of reading and note-taking, a mug of coffee at his side. Only a half-hour had gone by when he realized that his concentration was centered on other things - the picture on his desk, for one. Happy smiles and familiar profiles stared back at him, reminding him over and over that they were still apart.

It was his own fault, really. He never should have placed the framed photo on his desk. Its close proximity made it so easy for Leorio to just lower his pen and stare at it... at the three people he held closest to his heart.

What a motley crew the four of them made: a country boy, an assassin, a walking encyclopedia, and an aspiring physician. He'd always laughed at his playful classifications, but they rang true. How they had become this group of close friends they were was beyond Leorio. Nonetheless, he was thankful to fate for bringing them together. Since Pietro, Leorio had never had any good friends. Now he had three, and he wouldn't trade them for anything.

But for the moment, they were apart. Close they were, but they also had their own lives that had to be led. For the past few months, the four of them had been taking care of their individual affairs. A reunion would be coming soon, but that wouldn't happen for a few days, yet.

The impending get-together was part of Leorio's decision to go into town this evening, but not the sole reason. In a couple of days, he would be meeting Gon and Killua in the market downtown. Contrary to what everyone had been hoping, Kurapika would not be attending the reunion... and *that* was why Leorio was seeking a distraction tonight.

Though Leorio called his three companions "friends," that term wasn't entirely accurate. Two of them were friends, but the third was a crush. Perhaps "crush" wasn't the correct word; Leorio knew that his stronger feelings were returned. But that was the best he could come up with, given the fact that nothing had been forced out into the open. Leorio wasn't sure why it had happened, but somehow, he'd let Kurapika get away without admitting it.

If he had to formulate an explanation, Leorio might have blamed the drama surrounding Gon and Killua at the time. After the final stage of the Hunter examination, nothing had really slowed down. There had been Gon's injuries, lessons, Killua's disappearance, and a journey to Kukulu Mountain to deal with. Time to sit down and discuss a blossoming romance... no, there had been none of that. There could have been, if Leorio had taken steps to make some, but he hadn't. Sometimes, Leorio wondered *why* he hadn't. After all, it wasn't as though Kurapika would ever make the first move.  _Ha! I'd have better luck beating it out of him._

He didn't doubt that the Kuruta returned his feelings, though. The blonde almost certainly had his reasons for trying to hide them, but that didn't mean Leorio was blind. There had been numerous hints that Kurapika felt something more for him, some more noticeable than others. His violent overreaction to Leorio's nudity, for one....

The light changed, and as one single entity, the group of people waiting at the corner began to cross the street. Leorio moved with them, his gaze aimed at the asphalt. He wanted a night of distraction, but there didn't seem to be anything to distract himself *with*. Clubs and bistros weren't any fun without companions. Well, the former could be enjoyed alone, but only if you were looking for a one-night-stand. Leorio wasn't.

Maybe he could go to a quiet, lonely café. There, he could sip some coffee and wallow in his own loneliness, or something. Or he could just go back to his hotel room and wallow there with some junk ordered from room service. Maybe this had been a bad idea, after all. He'd intended to find ways to get his mind *off* a certain blond Kuruta, but instead, everything out here was just reminding Leorio *of* him.

All around him, he knew, were happy couples cruising the nightlife together. And here was Leorio, the idiot who was just forcing himself to realize how lonely he was, spending a night on the town pining for the one that got away.

_Hey, whoa,_  he thought.  _It's not like you're never going to see him again._  According to Gon, who had spoken briefly with Kurapika a day or so ago, the Kuruta had stated that he would probably be delayed and unable to attend the reunion. Gon had said that Kurapika had promised to contact them when he had time. So the blonde would be late, but he would come. Or so Gon said.

Leorio had not heard any of this from Kurapika himself. There were two reasons for that. One: Kurapika had not made any effort to contact Leorio, and two: Leorio's number was blocked from Kurapika's cellular phone. He had found that out the hard way, but should have guessed that the Kuruta hadn't particularly wanted to exchange numbers at the time. When Leorio had proposed the idea, Kurapika had been hesitant about disclosing his contact information. It stung a little, to know that Gon and Killua could hear Kurapika's voice and he couldn't. But on the other hand, the fact that Kurapika didn't want Leorio's voice to reach him certainly said something about the influence Leorio had over the Kuruta. If you could call it influence.

Someone behind him screamed; a shocked, petrified, bloodcurdling shriek that knocked Leorio's train of thought right out the window. It was a woman, Leorio registered even as he was spinning around to see what had caused her to yell. As he was turning, someone ran right by him, elbowing him roughly with an "outta the way!"

Though his balance had been disrupted, Leorio still had the presence of mind to catalogue what he could of the fleeing aggressor. The retreating suspect was of height with Leorio, wearing an olive-green trench coat with a wide-brimmed black hat.

"Thief!" a woman - the one who had screamed, most likely - called. "Stop! Thief!"

When no one made a move to restrain the pickpocket, Leorio's feet began to move of their own accord. Never had Leorio been the sort of man to stand idly by and watch something like this happen. He was in pursuit with the suspect in sight, eyes fixed on that trench coat as he chased the man through the busy streets of York City.

Leorio didn't know if the thief was aware that he was being pursued. The hunt took them down a street or two, their fast-paced steps unhindered by pedestrians who chose to remain out of the conflict, sidestepping to avoid interfering with either hunter or hunted. Eventually, Leorio's quarry turned into what looked like a dark alley.

It might have been a good way to keep hidden. It might have been an excellent method of escape. It might have been a good place to wait in the dark and take your opponent by surprise. It might have been any of those things, were it not for the fact that it wasn't dark, and that there was no way out of it.

The alley was lit up from the lights at the back doors of the buildings from which it was made. The two buildings merged into one at the end, creating a dead-end for the thief. Mr. Olive looked like he was still letting that sink in, standing stock-still and staring at the concrete barrier separating him from his freedom.

"Nice night," Leorio remarked dryly. He smirked when the thief jumped.

Mr. Olive spun around, clutching a gray purse to his chest. "What the hell do you want?" he snarled.

Leorio took note of the stolen purse. "Well, I'd appreciate it if you could return that nice lady's property. It's not like you have anywhere to go," he added with a nod to the dead-end.

"I could go through *you*," Mr. Olive, obviously a spastic teenager, pointed out. He used one hand to fumble inside his coat, pulling out a simple pocketknife.

Leorio was amused, and though he tried not to show it, some of it crept onto his face, anyway. "Kid, you've got about as much of a chance getting past me as you do climbing over that wall." He didn't *mean* to brag, but Leorio was no weakling and he knew it. This... teenager was no match for him.

Mr. Olive thought otherwise, the little knife catching the shine of the light bulbs as he brandished it. "Hey, fuck *you*, all right?"

The problem with Leorio's proper business attire was that it often gave the impression that he was nothing more than a businessman. Every now and then he had to prove that assumption wrong.

So when Mr. Olive rushed at him, knife swinging with more enthusiasm than skill, Leorio acted quickly. A block, a grip, and a trip later, Mr. Olive was sprawled on the pavement. Leorio grinned down at him, and put more weight on the foot that was pressing against the lad's chest as he leaned down to retrieve the stolen goods.

"Tell you what, kid," he said as he shouldered the purse, "I'll let you off easy this time. I didn't feel like running around this evening, anyway. But listen, now." He put on a stern expression. "You treat ladies with respect, you hear? That means you don't steal their belongings. Got that?"

After a moment's hesitation and some futile writhing, Mr. Olive exhaled sharply and nodded. "Sure, mister. Whatever you say."

"There's a good boy. Run along now." Leorio pressed his foot down one more time and then turned to walk away, slipping the pocketknife into his blazer as he did so. The felled teenager did not follow him.

Leorio doubted that his words actually had much effect on the youngster, but at least he'd been knocked off his high horse for the time being. Sooner or later, the lad would get what was coming to him, if he refrained from changing his ways.

His walk changed to a jog, and Leorio made steady progress back to the intersection where he'd originally bumped into the criminal. He hoped he hadn't taken too long with the chase, or else he'd have to make a trip to the local lost and found to return the purse. Luck was on his side, though, he saw as he neared a group of women. One of them looked back at his approach, and her eyes widened when he held up the stolen purse with a grin. She gestured to a couple of her friends and they moved away, breaking that protective circle that Leorio often saw women surround their friends with.

The young, pretty brunette on the ground glanced up at him, relief and gratitude spreading across her face. Leorio offered her a warm smile, but he wasn't really looking at her. His gaze was focused on the person kneeling next to her, tending to her forearm. Anyone could have had that blond hair, but those tribal patterns were another matter. Leorio would eat his own tie if that wasn't -- "Kurapika?"

He'd been going over the hasty first-aid he'd administered, but froze at the sound of his name. Slowly, Kurapika looked up from the bandaged arm, eyes widening with disbelief and something else. "Leorio," he stated quietly, sounding bewildered.

"Miss," Leorio said, holding out the purse but keeping his eyes on Kurapika, "this is yours, I believe."

"Thank you *so* much," the woman cried, enthused. She took the purse from him. "I can't believe you... caught him! How can I repay you?"

"No repayment necessary," Leorio declared in a monotone. "Nice job," he complimented Kurapika, noting the meticulous wrapping of the bandage on the woman's arm.

Kurapika averted his eyes. "If I'd known you were here, I'd have gone after the thief and let you tend to her."

"We aren't living up to our goals in life, are we?" Leorio cracked. "You doctoring and me stopping crime..."

By then, Leorio was aware of the stares they were getting. With their damsel in distress healed and her goods returned, their business at this intersection, as far as Leorio was concerned, was finished. "Miss, I won't ask for any reward." He flashed a grin at the woman as he reached down and seized a surprised Kurapika's arm. "I *will*, however, be taking him away from you."

"That's fine," she managed, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "And thank *you* again," she said to Kurapika as he was hauled to his feet.

"Don't mention it," the Kuruta returned. His arm twitched, like he was debating whether or not to shake Leorio off. In the end, he didn't - though that decision could have been made because the blonde hadn't wanted to make a scene.

"Have a good night," Leorio wished the ladies, already on the move. Kurapika followed his gentle but insistent pull, giving the women a polite smile.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Kurapika rounded on him. "Was that necessary?"

"Didn't want to give you a chance to get away." Leorio forced a laugh, as though the remark had been intended as a joke. It *had*, but only partly. "Come on, in here." He pulled the blonde into the first alley they came across, wanting to be away from the crowds.

"Wow, you don't waste any time," Kurapika commented dryly.

Leorio's heart skipped a beat, and then he realized that the Kuruta had intended the remark as simply another of his sarcastic jabs at Leorio. "Oh, shut up. I didn't want anyone to hear us."

"I know what you didn't want," Kurapika bit out, pulling away and leaning against a brick wall.

"Hey, whoa." Leorio raised his hands in surrender. "We haven't even said hello and we're arguing already."

Kurapika folded his arms and stared at the ground. "Sorry."

"Forget it. So, uh, hi."

"Hello."

"Great." Leorio dusted his hands off. "So... how do you like York City?" He cursed himself for such a lame question. All this time apart, and that was the best he could come up with?

Kurapika didn't answer the query, but he raised his head to hold Leorio's gaze with his own. "I... didn't expect to see you here." There was something in his voice that Leorio couldn't quite pick up.

"Likewise. It's... been a while."

Silence settled in. Leorio let it, aiming a frustrated glare at the ground - and at anyone who happened to poke his head in the alley, wondering what the two boys were doing. This, he decided, was not going well. He'd figured he'd try and make the best out of such an unexpected meeting, but he was... shy? Nervous? He didn't know, but for some reason, he just couldn't *start*.

"Classes finished?" his blond friend inquired. Kurapika the Icebreaker; it was a funny thought.

"For the moment." It was a short vacation of sorts. Leorio was a good student, and was always chapters ahead. He looked up at the Kuruta. Kurapika was still standing the way he'd been before, eyes still staring down at the ground. He looked about as uncertain and uncomfortable as Leorio felt. It was nice to know he wasn't the only one.

The ball was in Leorio's court now, though. So he asked, "Are you... on a break, or something?"

"For tonight," Kurapika affirmed.

Leorio had questions - and a thousand things he wanted to say, to talk about... so he squared his shoulders and made the offer. "Look, it's crowded out here. If you want... I mean, can you bear with me for a little while longer?"

Kurapika looked up at him, blinking a few times before formulating a reply. "Why couldn't I? I mean, sure. I'd... sure."

Leorio tensed a little, hoping it wasn't apparent. God, this was pretty hard. Almost like he was asking Kurapika out on a date.  _I am, in a way. Aren't I?_  "We could, you know, go for coffee?" Leorio wished his stomach would stop fluttering. He was supposed to be suave, gentlemanly, and confident. Admittedly, it would have helped if Kurapika even remotely bought that act.

"That sounds good," Kurapika managed, giving him a polite, company smile.

"Then let's go. I know of a good café, not too far from here." Leorio smiled back, and they waited that way for a few moments.

"I'll pay," they said at the same time.

Leorio chuckled. "Dutch, then."

 

***

"So," Leorio began, stirring his black coffee, "how have you been?"

"Busy," Kurapika replied simply, cupping his mug with his hands, absorbing its warmth. "And you?"

"The same. I made sure to keep this block of time free, though. Because I thought..." he trailed off and reached for the cream and sugar. "I wanted to make sure that I would be free at the beginning of September."

Kurapika knew what September meant for the four of them. "I... look, I honestly didn't expect to see you for... some time."

"I know that," Leorio assured him dryly. "I can tell by how uncomfortable you look." Kurapika did look as though he'd rather be anywhere else but at a quiet table in the corner of a nice café with Leorio.

The Kuruta was instantly defensive. "It's not that I'm uncomfortable with -- around -- *because* of you. It's just that I'm... surprised to have bumped into you. Especially like that."

Leorio permitted himself a smug grin. He was anything but deaf, and there was no other way he could have missed the way Kurapika had stumbled in that first sentence. "Didn't expect to hear my voice so soon, either?" he prodded, unable to resist.

The look Kurapika gave him was pained. "I... I..."

"Can't say I didn't expect you to block it, though," Leorio went on, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms. "You didn't really want to give me your number in the first place. Although," he added, refusing to let Kurapika get a word in edgewise, "at least you gave me your *real* number. That's something, isn't it?"

"I'm not sorry for it," the blonde finally cut in. "I mean... please don't take it badly, but I'm not sorry for it."

"Are you going to tell me *why* you blocked my number?" Leorio asked, fishing around in private matters and knowing it.

"No." Gentle, but abrupt.

"Does it have anything to do with your... work?"

"Leorio," Kurapika said warningly. His hands tightened around his coffee cup. "Stay out of my professional life. Please. For now."

Leorio didn't press the issue, knowing it would get him nowhere. He already had his suspicions, though. "That's fine, then."

"I have my reasons," the blonde offered, still firm but hoping nothing bad would come of his refusal to disclose those reasons.

"I know, and I think I know what they are, too." Leorio gave his friend a smug grin.

The Kuruta raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Oh? And that would be?"

"No, no." Leorio waved a finger, and then placed it on one side of his nose. "I'd rather keep that to myself." He smiled at Kurapika's puzzled expression, and leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. His initial jitters were gone now; he was no longer nervous. Maybe that was why he had the sudden urge to move his arms so he could cover Kurapika's hands with his own, and why he gave in to that inclination.

"What are you doing?" the blonde hissed quietly, eyes shifting to see if anyone was looking at them. There was no reason for him to be uptight, as their table was practically invisible, situated in the back as it was.

Leorio rubbed his fingers over the back of Kurapika's hands, feeling the warmth radiating from the mug. "There's no one here."

Kurapika gave him a flat look, the veiled meaning of Leorio's previous statement registering. "Leorio, don't flatter yourself."

"Ouch," Leorio replied, unfazed. "Does that mean you don't like me, anymore?"

"Are we courting?" Kurapika mused, staring pointedly at the hands covering his own. "I wasn't aware we were courting."

Leorio removed his hands, putting on the air of a suitor who had forgotten his manners. "Forgive me. As you can see, I lose my senses completely when confronted with your stunning profile."

Kurapika winced, visibly uncomfortable with the words. "Leorio--"

"How are people wooing these days?" Leorio wondered, tapping his chin as he thought about it. "What's gone out of style, you think?"

"Leorio, I don't--"

"That's right, you wouldn't know." Leorio made a face. "Well, now. That makes matters more difficult, doesn't it? How did they court amongst the Kuruta? Or was it according to personal preference?"

"*Leorio*--"

"So what do you prefer? Flowers? Chocolates? Promises I don't intend to keep? Books?"

"Leorio," Kurapika was thoroughly exasperated, "what brought this on?"

"Kurapika," he admonished lightly, "you're not as hard to read as you may think."

"What's *that* supposed to mean?" The Kuruta was not unlike a cat with its hackles raised - tense, expecting an attack.

"Hey, I'm not exactly being subtle, here." Leorio leaned on one elbow, resting his cheek on his hand. "How long are we going to keep playing this game?"

Kurapika glared at him, and started to push himself up from the table. Leorio wasn't having it, jarring his cup as he reached over to snatch the Kuruta's wrist. Some of Leorio's coffee spilled onto the impeccable white tablecloth.

"Well?" Leorio asked. "Is it a secret you'd like to carry to your grave, or what?"

"You're assuming too much," Kurapika muttered, staring balefully at the hand gripping his arm.

"If there was nothing to assume, why did you suddenly feel the urge to leave?" At this point he was probably crossing the line, but he pressed on nonetheless. "Why did you have to get up and unhinge my jaw for walking out of the shower naked?"

Kurapika's body became wire-tense, and for a moment, Leorio was sure that the Kuruta would pull his arm free and leave. He cursed himself for how he'd carried things out. Trying to deepen a relationship with someone he genuinely cared for was a lot harder than the playful wooing of women he often practiced. The process was similar but not identical.

But then, like someone had pulled the plug to make the water drain, the tension in Kurapika's body melted away. He dropped back into his chair with a resigned sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hate you."

There wasn't any conviction in the statement, so Leorio didn't know if it was good or bad. "And by that you mean...?"

"I mean you can't just leave things alone."

Leorio rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, well... I've learned not to waste time, you could say." Still uncertain of where they stood, Leorio removed his fingers from Kurapika's wrist and tried to take hold of the Kuruta's hand. The blonde allowed it, much to Leorio's delight. "So... does that mean I'm right or wrong about this?"

Kurapika's shoulders lifted in a shrug. "Define 'this'."

"You like me as much as I like you." After all that had transpired, it was surprisingly easy to say.

"Ah." Kurapika closed his eyes. The fight seemed to be out of him. "Well, you're right."

And, admission. Leorio blinked, letting the reply sink in. "So you... you really..." he shook his head. Now that he had the confession, he... wasn't sure what to do with it. They sat in silence for a few minutes, staring into their mugs, hands linked.

"This evening turned out to be anything *but* what I expected," Kurapika commented, glancing at Leorio, their entwined hands, and then Leorio again.

"Why the pretense?" Leorio inquired, deciding to continue the conversation. It was far from over, after all. He leaned closer, rubbing his thumb over Kurapika's knuckles and hoping no one appeared to spoil this moment. "I mean, why... did you put up such a fight about it? It wasn't really a pretense; you were so obvious."

"Was I really?" Kurapika asked, crestfallen.

"Well, to me. Maybe I just knew what to look for." He grinned and gave Kurapika's hand a squeeze, and even got a lighter one in return. Tomorrow, Leorio would wake up and realize that tonight, he and Kurapika had admitted to their mutual attraction, both in the physical and emotional sense. It hadn't really sunk in, yet. "Was I obvious to you?"

"What a stupid question." Kurapika's smile took the bite out of the words. "I might be innocent, but I'm not *that* naïve."

Leorio snickered. "When did you catch on, though?"

Kurapika frowned. "Hard to say. I don't really know. At first I was positive you were straight."

That assumption was right on. Leorio considered himself to be straight, still. There was no question whether or not Leorio liked women. He just liked Kurapika, too - and liked him more, in a different way. "I am straight. Sorta. Mostly." He fumbled, searching for a way to explain it, and settled on the simplest one. "I don't like all boys that way. Just you." That divulgence, of course, begged the question, "And you? Are you gay?"

Another shrug. "I don't know." At Leorio's puzzled glance, Kurapika rolled his eyes. "I had more important things to think about."

Leorio rubbed his head again, abashed. "Right. Sorry."

"But you're the only person I've ever... been very fond of, if that's what you're wondering." Kurapika rested his chin on his hand. "I don't know what that makes me, but there you go."

"But if you liked me, and you knew *I* liked *you*, why did you try so hard to hide it from me?" Leorio shook his head. "You even blocked my phone number!"

Kurapika hesitated, his gaze shifting from their hands to Leorio's eyes. "You know what I'm doing," he said quietly, "and you know how dangerous it is. I can't... I can't have any other serious involvements right now."

"But--"

"You're busy, too. Other things have to be done, like your courses and my... mission. We're just... not ready yet." He stared down at their joined hands. "I... *I'm* not ready yet."

Leorio got a good look at Kurapika's eyes then, and the mixture of emotions in their depths. "Thought I'd give up once we parted ways for a while, huh." It wasn't a question, and Kurapika's silence was good enough an answer. "Evidently, I'm not so easily deterred." He lifted Kurapika's hand and pressed his lips to it.

"I was hoping you'd come to fancy someone else," the blonde admitted. "I'm not ready for any serious relationship, and it's not fair that you should be waiting so long--"

"What if I don't mind the wait?" Leorio cut in. He encased Kurapika's hand in both of his own. "I'm busy, too. Not much time for romance, even if you're still the one I want. So what if I don't mind the wait?"

Kurapika's mouth worked, and it was a few attempts before he could reply. "But I don't know how long--"

Leorio rode over him again, leaning closer to emphasize his words. "Can I take a rain-check, then?"

Kurapika's free hand was now fingering tiny folds of the tablecloth. "You really... you really don't mind?"

Leorio took advantage of his friend's bewilderment and quickly raised his bottom from his chair, allowing him to cover more distance across the table. He lurched forward and landed a quick kiss right on the surprised blonde's mouth. "What a stupid question," he remarked, smiling as Kurapika touched two fingers to his lips. "If you're willing to wait for me, then I'm willing to wait for you."

A blush reddened the Kuruta's cheeks, and he nodded, blond hair bouncing a little. "I don't mind. I want to... I mean, I want *us*, when I'm ready."

Leorio couldn't stop smiling. It warmed him all over, knowing that Kurapika desired him just as strongly as he wanted the Kuruta. "Maybe it will be sooner than we think."

Their time together would be limited until other obligations had been met, but at least Leorio would know that Kurapika was his, and vice versa. At least they both knew that there was someone waiting for them at the end of the line.

At least they both knew that their feelings were reciprocated.

 

***

The walk back to Leorio's hotel had been a slow, enjoyable one. Caring little about what anyone else thought, they had walked with their hands linked, bodies pressed close together so they could share quiet words. Nobody gave them a second glance, and there were no damsels in distress this time around. More than once, Leorio had had the urge to drag Kurapika into an alley and make use of the dark passageway. He restrained himself, though; if he was allowed to drink deeply enough, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. And the panhandler who came to rest in *that* alley would get an eyeful.

They came to a stop at the door to Leorio's hotel. Leorio glanced down at the blonde who was nestled up next to him. So much had happened in but a couple of hours.... After a few moments of his staring, Kurapika looked up at him.

Even though Leorio's nervousness had long since dissipated, he still had a hard time asking the question. "Um, would you..." he swallowed, resting his hands on Kurapika's hips, "would you... like to come up?"

The Kuruta's eyelids lowered to half-mast, and then Leorio felt the brush of bangs against his nose as Kurapika rose on his toes and tilted his head. The blonde's lips touched his own in a long, but closed-mouth, kiss.

"Actually," Kurapika murmured as he drew away, "I'd better not. I have to get back."

Leorio felt bereft when the warmth of Kurapika's body left his own. He reached for the blonde as he turned and began walking away, but his hand fell to his side soon thereafter. Honoring his agreement not to poke into Kurapika's professional life for now, he did not call after the Kuruta, asking which hotel he was staying at, or to please unblock his number.

After walking a few feet, Kurapika turned around, blue-and-gold tabard swishing around his legs.

"Give me something to look forward to," he said.

And then he smiled, turned on his heel, and ran.

 

 

+end+

 

 


End file.
